All posts in “cockroaches”

German roaches

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German cockroaches are the scourge of the kitchen and sometimes the bathroom. Let them in and they are there to stay until you call ProBest Pest Management that is. Many people attempt to solve their roach problems and sometimes it works but you have to understand their biology. So maybe you kill a few here or there, you should realize that that is only the tip of the iceberg. I don’t recommend the use of bug bombs; they tend to make the roaches go deeper and further away for the time being. So here are a few tips to keep them out:

  1. Don’t keep boxes in the pantry; put the food into plastic containers.
  2. Don’t allow food to sit around.
  3. Keep the kitchen free from dirt and grease.
  4. Pull out the refrig from time to time and clean it, an extra tip – clean the condenser coils it will save you money.
  5. If you see one, look deeper. Don’t panic but don’t underestimate the finding.

Cockroach invader new to NYC.

 

A species native to Asia has been located in Manhatten, New York, found by a Pest Control Operator. This species can also acclimate itself to colder weather, “Cold-tolerate cockroach from Asia found in NY“.

I’ve mentioned before “Insect and Mammal Invasive Species“, “Those Darn Illegals” and “The spread of Black Rats“.

The spread of non-native insects or plants can really cause major issues, justy look at those Quagga and Zebra  mussel.

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Photo by Arizona Game & Fish

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

DrBugKVBdidyouknow1

To date, the largest known prehistoric insect is the dragonfly Meganeura monyi. It existed over 280 million years ago. Fossil remains were found in Commentry, France. When measured, the wingspan was a whopping 2 ft. 3.5 inches.

The loudest insects are male cicadas, which can be heard about a quarter of a mile away.

The insects with the biggest nests are termites.

There were three plagues mentioned in the book of Exodus in the Bible which were caused by insects – lice, flies, and locusts.

It takes 48 hours for a cockroach to digest its food.

 

What are the common pest issues in restaurants?

 

There are always issues with occasional invaders within building but lets just focus on the Top 2 – Flies and Cockroaches

 

Flies – the first and foremost most important is the inspection, after you decide on which species it then can treated. Each pest we deal with has unique and often times complex life cycles which must be addressed. House flies are common in building but are usually an issue with door being left open, while Fruit flies are a result of ripening fruits or decaying organic matter. So lets look at a few:

House flies – is there animal waste or garbage outside which could bring this pest to your door? If this is a home its easy to reduce house flies by just removing or cleaning up animal waste. If this is a restaurant, just how close is the garbage or dumpster? Is the lid closed, this in itself could reduce flies and scavenging birds and animals.

Fruit flies – Drains are the biggest culprit, they need to be clean and screens should be in place. Just pouring bleach into a drain will never work, the scum collects on the sidewalls and just pouring bleach will only maybe touch the surface of the scum. Phorid flies prefer areas like cracks and crevices and are similar to Fruit flies in liking decaying organic matter. The product of choice should be a scum eater, like a bio agent. I love those products because they eat grease which often builds up in somewhat hidden areas. Don’t forget areas like mops or kitchen equipment.

Bottle or Flesh flies, if you encounter these it is often associated with dead rodents or decaying matter.

Cockroaches – both German and American can create some issues within restaurants. American or lots of people call them Sewer Roaches, usually associated with drains and grease traps. So keeping the place clean is essential. German Roaches are probably those ones that cause the most sleepness nights to owners, they can be brought in via boxes or materials and can quickly set up shop. Cleaniness is important but these roaches are experts at muliplying and taking advantage of every single opportunity. If you see one there are probably hundreds, just take my advice and call a Pro right away. You need the right tools and the knowledge and you need to get a handle on this ASAP.

Don’t forget it is about the inspection, followed up by detection and then treatment and prevention. (BASF flies Smartsolutions guide)

 

Photo by PPMA

Photo by PPMA

 

 

What is an IGR – Insect growth regulator?

 

These are products or materials that interrupt (break) or inhibit the life cycle of a immature pests. These products are often used with liquid sprays for restaurants (cockroaches) or for (flea) infestations in homes.

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This isn’t the best picture but notice the German roach with curled wings, this is an indication that this roach came in contact with an IGR. Some IGR’s make the insect a darker color while others stop them from molting (shedding their exoskeleton) or reproducing.

 

How do you know the problem is huge – when the cockroaches are everywhere?

The very minute you walk into the home, you know there are issues. How does the bug guy know? Let me share my observations:

  1. The cockroaches are in the door hinges or above the entry door into the home.
  2. The cockroaches are in the bedrooms.
  3. The cockroaches are in the living or dining rooms.
  4. The home has a distinct odor. Once you have been in a home with a severe cockroach problem you never forget that smell. The same applies to Bed Bugs and sometimes rats or rodents.

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Did you know that a  smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people’s moods and even affect their work performance. Maybe walking into a house where someone is baking cookies and you instantly recall your Grandmother in the kitchen or if your a pest operator walking into a place where the roaches far outnumber any other living things. Gives you the heebie jeebies right?

Tell me your instant recall of a smell you have encountered, maybe I’ll share a few more.

Bug Zoo and guest

 

 

So today at the Bug Zoo at Chandler Environmental Education Center I had a rather well informed bug guy (parent). Not usual for me to have another expert on hand but I met Rubin and he has way more spiders and stuff than I do. Plus he and his child were wearing Tarantula t-shirts that were way cool.

 

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Plus the fact that he took out the tarantula and played with it, something I have never done nor will do. See the fangs on this spider.

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He also has stuff I don’t have so maybe we will be getting some new bugs for our zoo. He has some baby Domino Cockroaches and a WhipScorpion so stay tuned for more exciting news on the zoo update.

Oh and by the way –  The Phoenix Zoo announced today that they’ve acquired animals from the recently closed Las Vegas Zoo: two Patagonian cavies, two red-rumped agoutis and two Chinese alligators. The Zoo is one of multiple facilities offering assistance to provide for the animals from the Las Vegas Zoo.  Website is http://www.phoenixzoo.org/

What’s in your meter box or sprinkle system box?

 

Cockroaches, spiders, snakes – yep I’ve seen all of the stuff listed.

 

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Does your pest control operator/technician treat your meter boxes, they should. I frequently see all kinds of bugs in these boxes and it may be just a matter of time before someone sticks their hand into the box and gets a nasty bite or sting. Special note – I sometimes will find honeybees deciding to make that box a h0me. Maybe big enough now but they will eventaully move but not before stinging or hurting someone. Bee Careful…

What do you want to know by ProBest Pest Management!

DrBugKVBdidyouknow1

Cockroaches are known to carry such diseases as polio, typhoid, gastroenteritis and hepatitis.

Africanized bees live in colonies with as many as 80,000 other bees; they are quick to get excited and attack in great swarms.

A scorpion can have up to 12 eyes.

Ladybugs aren’t really bugs at all, they’re beetles!

Insects are cold blooded and do not have lungs.

 

Talk buggy to me baby, why Bed Bugs might be resistant to pesticides?

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All the bugs are talking about it, and it turns out a lot of Entomologist/Scientists are talking as well. “How Bed Bugs shrug off pesticides and simple measures to deal with it.” I don’t care how much we complain but the EPA will never let certain pesticides come back, gone are DDT, Chlordane and all of its little partners. Once gone from their books and it’s never coming back, trust me on this one.

“Every living thing on Earth has a unique set of strategies to adapt to life-threatening situations in the environment,” said Fang Zhu, Ph.D., a leader of the research who spoke at the meeting.”The surprise discovery we never expected is that most of the genes responsible for pesticide resistance in the bedbug are active in its outer skin-like shell or cuticle. This is the unique adaption that has not been discovered in cockroaches, termites, ants or other insects.”

It is research like this that will continue to be the mainstay of pest control, using their bug weakness to fight them. The pest control industry can still use their super powers daily to combat these little blood suckers.

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